John King Davis
John King Davis collection
1905-1951
Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge
Expedition material (1 microfilm, Circa 23 leaves), correspondence (Circa 35 leaves)
John King Davis
English.
John King Davis was born in London in 1884. He was educated at London and Burford Grammar School in Oxfordshire and at the age of sixteen he signed on as an apprentice in the Liverpool sailing ship
Celtic Chief. Davis joined the British Antarctic Expedition, 1907-1909 (leader Ernest Henry Shackleton), as chief officer of Nimrod and received his first command when he succeeded Frederick Pryce Evans as captain on the return voyage. He was then invited to serve as second in command on the Australasian Antarctic Expedition, 1911-1914 (leader Douglas Mawson), and was captain of the expedition ship Aurora. On this expedition he made three summer voyages of relief and exploration as well as oceanographic cruises between Tasmania and East Antarctica. After becoming involved in the First World War, Davis led the British Relief Expedition, 1917, organized to rescue the survivors of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, [Ross Sea Party], 1914-1917 (Captains Mackintosh and Stenhouse).
In 1920, he became the Director of Navigation for the Commonwealth of Australia and held this post until 1949. His distinguished career also included a period from 1929 to 1930 as captain of
Discovery and second in command during the first summer of the British, Australian and New Zealand Antarctic Research Expedition, 1929-1931. He died in Australia on 7 May 1967.
Published works,
High latitude Melbourne University Press (1962) SPRI Library Shelf 92[Davis, J.K.]
The collection comprises of material relating to the British Antarctic Expedition, 1907-1909 (leader Ernest Henry Shackleton), The Australasian Antarctic Expedition , 1911-1914 (leader Douglas Mawson), The British Relief Expedition, 1917 to the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, [Ross Sea Party] 1914-1917 (Captains Mackintosh and Stenhouse) and general correspondence on polar matters.
The collection is split into three sub-fonds, comprising of material relating to Davis's time on the
Nimrod and Aurora during the British Antarctic Expedition, 1907-1909 and the Australasian Antarctic Expedition, 1911-1914 and the British Relief Expedition, 1917 to the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, [Ross Sea Party]. The second sub-fond contains material relating directly to the British Relief Expedition, 1917 and the final sub-fond covers Davis's correspondence.
Further accessions possible.
By appointment.
Some materials deposited at the Institute are NOT owned by the Institute. In such cases the archivist will advise about any requirements imposed by the owner. These may include seeking permission to read, extended closure, or other specific conditions.
Copying material by photography, electrostat, or scanning device by readers is prohibited. The Institute may be able to provide copies of some documents on request for lodgement in publicly available repositories. This is subject to conservation requirements, copyright law, and payment of fees.
Copyright restrictions apply to most material. The copyright may lie outside the Institute and, if so, it is necessary for the reader to seek appropriate permission to consult, copy, or publish any such material. (The Institute does not seek this permission on behalf of readers). Written permission to publish material subject to the Institute's copyright must be obtained from the Director. Details of conditions and fees may be had from the Archivist.
Anyone wishing to consult material should ensure they note the entire MS reference and the name of the originator.
The term holograph is used when the item is wholly in the handwriting of the author. The term autograph is used when the author has signed the item.
Clive Holland
Manuscripts in the Scott Polar Research Institute, Cambridge, England - a catalogue, Garland Publishing New York and London (1982) ISBN 0824093941.
Additional finding aids are available at the Institute.
The Scott Polar Research Institute holds a number of photographs, film and other illustrative material in the Picture Library, some of which covers the expeditions Davis served on. The catalogue can be searched on line by going to the Picture Library Database and selecting the
Enter Polar Pictures link.
Antarctica
Discovery and exploration
Davis
John King
1884-1967
British Antarctic Expedition
1907-1909
Australasian Antarctic Expedition
1911-1914
British Relief Expedition
Ross Sea
1917
John King Davis/Nimrod and Aurora
Davis, Nimrod and Aurora
1909 - 1917
1 microfilm of extracts from Ships logs and diaries.
John King Davis
Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge
The British Antarctic Expedition, 1907-1909 (leader Ernest Henry Shackleton) sailed south on board
Nimrod. A shore party of 15 set up base on the Antarctic continent; they discovered nearly 500km of the Transantarctic Mountains flanking the Ross Ice Shelf. A party climbed Mount Erebus (3794 m), Ross Island. A southern party consisting of Shackleton, Jameson Adams, Eric Marshall and Frank Wild found a route up the Beardmore Glacier and sledged to within 180km of the pole.
A second party sledged to he region of the South Magnetic pole and exploration of the area around the Ferrar Glacier was also conducted.
The Australasian Antarctic Expedition, 1911-1914 (leader Douglas Mawson) established
three bases, one on Macquarie Island, the others at Cape Denison and the Shackleton
Ice Shelf. Sledging parties from the Cape Denison base explored the eastern
coast, the southern area towards the Magnetic Pole and the western coastal mountains.
A sledging party consisting of Mawson, Ninnes and Mertz explored the icecap
to the south beyond Cape Freshfield. (Only Mawson returned). The party on the
Shackleton Ice Shelf carried out explorations including the assent of Gaussberg
on the Davis Strait. The party on Macquarie Island led by George F Ainsworth
established a wireless station and explored the island during their 23 month
stay.
Aurora searched for the non existent 'Royal Company Island' and visited Auckland Islands.
The
Aurora rescued the remaining members of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, [Ross Sea Party] 1914-1917.
- MS 575/8;MJ Log and diary extracts, 1909-1917 [Nimrod, May 1909 during visits to Macquarie Island, Royal Company Islands, Emerald Island, Nimrod Islands, with sketches of Macquarie Island, running diary of steam yacht Aurora during the Australasian Antarctic Expedition, 1911-1914, 8 December 1911 to 9 March 1914, running diary of steam yacht Aurora during the Ross Sea Relief Expedition, 1916-1917, 20 December 1916 to 9 February 1917] 1 volume, holograph and typescript, microfilm
Chronologically
Existence/Location of Originals
MS 575/8;MJ Original in Mitchell Library, part of State Library of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia, (Uncat. Mss. Set 171)
The Institute holds over a fifty archival collections containing material relating to the British Antarctic Expedition, 1907-1909, see SPRI collection GB 015 British Antarctic Expedition, 1907-1909 for more information. The Institute holds archival collections for several members of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition, 1911-1914 including Douglas Mawson.
Material on the Australasian Antarctic Expedition, 1911-1914 is also held at the State Library of New South Wales, Australia Mitchell Library
Shackleton
Ernest Henry
1874-1922
Sir
Knight Explorer
Mawson
Douglas
1882-1958
Sir
Knight Geologist and Antarctic Explorer
Aurora (Steam yacht)
Nimrod (Steam yacht)
John King Davis/British Relief Expedition, 1917
Davis, British Relief Expedition, 1917
1914 - 1948
2 reports and microfilm of ships log
John King Davis
Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge
This expedition was sent to rescue the members of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition [Ross Sea Party], 1914-1917 who had remained on Antarctica when the ship
Aurora
was driven from her moorings in a blizzard. Three men including ship's captain
&198;neas Lionel Acton Mackintosh died before the party was relieved, seven
were rescued. Davis led the relief expedition which sailed from Port Chalmers
with Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton accompanied the voyage.
- MS 586/2;D Record, 11 January 1917 [Left at Cape Evans, pinned on the dark-room door 'Left Cape Evans on 12 January 1917 all well', reports relief of surviving members of the expedition, envelope is labelled 'To whoever may next visit Cape Evans, record Aurora, 12 January 1917'. Found at Cape Evans by the Huts Restoration Party of the New Zealand Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Antarctic Division, January 1961] 1 leaf, autographed typescript
- MS 100/138;D Report, 17 January 1917 [On the Circumstances regarding the loss of Captain Mackintosh and V.G. Hayward on 8 May 1916, including report by Ernest Joyce on steps taken to trace their remains] 4 leaves, typescript
- MS 1598/1-2;D Report, 1918 [Proceedings of the Aurora relief expedition 1916-1917 presented to both houses of parliament plus copy including final report] 18 leaves, typescript
Chronologically.
The Institute holds several archival collections relating to the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, [Ross Sea Party], 1914-1917 (Captains Mackintosh and Stenhouse), including extensive collections for Joseph Russell Stenhouse.
Cape Evans (Antarctica)
Stenhouse
Joseph Russell
John King Davis/Correspondence
Davis, correspondence
1908 - 1951
Circa 42 letters
John King Davis
Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge
General correspondence on various Antarctic expeditions.
- MS 101/35/1-14;D Letters (14) to William Speirs Bruce, 1911 to 1913 [On his work during the Australasian Antarctic Expedition, 1911-1914 (leader Douglas Mawson)] 16 leaves holograph and typescript
- MS 1547/32;D Letter to George Marston [Regarding Murray and Marston book, feels entitled to a copy as he provided the watercolour illustrations]
- MS 1568/1/3;D Letter to Robert Mennell, 29 April 1908 [Referring to Shackleton and Captain England]
- MS 1568/1/4;D Letter to Robert Mennell, 12 December 1909 [Regarding Mennell's health, dogs and book]
- MS 100/22/1-19;D Letters (19) to Hugh Robert Mill, 1913 to 1948 [Early letters are concerned with the British Relief Expedition, 1917 which Davis led to rescue the survivors of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, [Ross Sea Party] 1914-1917] 2 leaves, holograph
- MS 356/51/1-13;D Letters (3) to Robert Neal Rudmose Brown, 19 August 1915 to 1 January 1951, 13 leaves, holograph and typescript
- MS 1537/2/17/10;D Letter to Emily Shackleton, 23 April 1908 [Regarding Ernest Henry Shackleton]
- MS 1537/2/31/2;D Letter to Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton, 4 March 1914 [Declines offer to join Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, 1914-1916]
- MS 1537/2/31/3;D Letter to Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton, 16 March 1914 [Discusses Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition plans]
The correspondence is arranged alphabetically by recipient.